An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → negatively charged → ion or → radical. Anions in a liquid subjected to electric potential are attracted toward the → anode. See also → cation.

See also: From Gk. anienai “to go up,” from an-, from → ana- “up,” + -i-, from ire, eo “to go, walk,” cf. Pers. ây-, → assembly, + -on, as in → ion.